This page was last modified on Thursday, August 14, 2008 03:00:44 PM
The two most significant projects for the BLPOA are weed control and dredging. Information on these topics follows.
Weed Update as of 8/14/2008
Home owners must contact Tony or Leslie Cunninham of WeedPatrol of Elkhart at 1-800-201-9333 to request assistance in obtaining a permit from Jed Pearson's office for spraying native weeds blocking access to pier areas. This is for lake front areas only.
The home owner will be responsible for the expense of this spraying ,payable direct to WeedPatrol of Elkhart Inc.
Dredging Update as of 8/14/2008
Phase I Dredging Update
Jeff Krevda, Dredging Technologies, Inc. met with the property owners who live at the southwest corner of Little Barbee. This is located near the island at the inlet. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss in detail the final phase of dredging this fall. Jeff will map out the 0.7 acre
at this site to determine the dredging strategy as stated in the permit. The property owners discussed each area in front of their homes with Jeff and were satisfied with his dredging plan.
His intention is to mobilize the dredging equipment during the First week of September. Our piers will be removed prior to that time.
ALL MOTORIZED WATERCRAFT NEED TO USE EXTREME CAUTION AS THEY CROSS THE FLOATING PIPES ACROSS THE SOUTH END OF LITTLE BARBEE. IT IS NECESSARY TO SLOW DOWN AND TRIM UP THE MOTORS WHEN APPROACHING THESE PIPES.
Dredging Update as of 5/30/2008
Phase I Dredging Update
Phase 1 of the dredging project is almost complete. All that remains is the portion of the main channel between Big and Little Barbee from the bridge west to Little Barbee and a private channel off this main channel.
The application for a dredging permit is awaiting final review at DNR, Indianapolis. This permit for BLPOA is necessary because the original permit has expired. There will be a contract renewal
with Jeff Krevda, Dredging Technologies, Inc. for the last area on Little Barbee Lake in the fall. Also, there will be another contract with the Hartup family to cover the final phase of sediment collection, closing the pit and restoration of the area.
Phase II Dredging Update
The events necessary for the Kuhn Lake dredging are progressing as we enter the summer months. Tennant Dredging, of Terre Haute has been awarded the contract for the dredging operations on Kuhn Lake. As a reminder for those on private channels on Kuhn Lake, if you are interested in having your channel dredged in conjunction with the BLPOA dredging program, you must apply for a dredging permit from the Indiana DNR. The time required for approval following the application is lengthy and your applications must be submitted SOON to enable the work to be done this fall. If you require assistance for the application you may contact Perry Hastings thru the website.
In addition to obtaining the dredging permit, you will need to contact Tennant Dredging to negotiate the scope of work to be done and the cost. Tennant Dredging may be contacted @ 1-812-466-5187.
The Lake and River Enhancement Program (LARE) will be providing 75 percent of the funding necessary to complete the hydraulic dredging project planned for the public landing access channel and the channel between B8 and B9 on Kuhn Lake. These channel dredging projects have access to LARE funding, which is the lake enhancement fee you pay on boat registrations in Indiana, because they are both considered public channels. The public clearly uses the public boat landing channel, while the channel between B8 and B9 is the outlet of a stream or publicly regulated drainage known as the W. H. Bockman Drain. Channels that do not meet one of the above criteria are not eligible to receive cost share from the LARE program for dredging. While the IDNR normally allows the cleaning of these man-made channels through the permit process, the projects must be paid for using private money. The advantage of having private channels dredged while the BLPOA administers the LARE funded projects are two fold. Your channel dredging cost is reduced because a good share of any dredging project involves mobilizing the dredge and constructing a settling basin for the dredge spoils. The cost for mobilizing the dredge and constructing the sediment basin can often exceed $40,000. This cost will be paid for during the LARE project allowing other private channels to be dredged at significantly less then the normal charges.
July 2008 Weed Treatment Update
The milfoil treatment was applied on May 22. Advanced algae growth occurred before this so it was necessary to treat the algae before the milfoil treatment in order to for the chemical to have better access to the milfoil plants.
Algae treatments will be done as this problem becomes apparent, probably before Labor Day.
The growth of algae would be greatly reduced if residents use only phosphorus free lawn fertilizer products. If you are having your lawn treated by a lawn maintenance company, please specify that only phosphorus free chemical be used. I would suggest that you get a written agreement for this request. Local hardware and nurseries are stocking these phosphorus free lawn fertilizers.
As mentioned many times, ONE pound of water soluble phosphorus can create 10,000 pounds of lake weeds. Our lakes would not be considered a weed and algae "factory" if we were not allowing phosphorus to enter waterways. It is also important that we not allow organic material of any kind to enter our lakes and channels.
Weed Treatment Info
Weed treatment only happens if the exotic weeds are found to be present. Curly leaf pond weed (left below) and eurasian milfoil (right below) are the targeted exotics.
LARE monies do not cover treatment of our 41.3 acres of channels (There are 702 houses on the Barbee Lake Chain channels). It pertains only to lake front areas. The expense of channel treatment is a separate contract price between Weed Patrol and our Association!
Please remember to use only “lake friendly” lawn fertilizers. These are available at most retail outlets. ONE pound of phosphorus can produce up to 10,000 pounds of lake vegetation!!!!!! If you use a commercial company to care for your lawn, please specify NO phosphates on your lawn, and GET IT IN WRITING!!!
If you are a paid member and have made a donation to the weed control and feel you have a problem, please contact me. Otherwise I cannot help you. Please visit our website for further information and contacts (www.barbeelakes.org).
Dredging
This is a multiphased project with the first phase including selected spots in Little Barbee and portions of the channel to Big Barbee during 2006 and 2007. Lew Huston is the coordinator of this phase.
The second phase includes spots on Kuhn and the channel to Big Barbee during the 2008 timeframe.
If you have any questions, please contact Lew Huston, BLPOA dredging representative.
| After dredging in Putney Ditch docks can be positioned on both sides of the ditch with boats. |
This photo was taken from Putney Ditch at Little Barbee.
Latest Dredging Update for Little Barbee
The inspection of Putney Ditch dredging (Little Barbee) was held on Thursday, May 3rd, 2007. Those present included: Doug Nusbaum and Kent Tracy (DNR from Columbia City), Jack Sell (BLPOA president), Ron Miller (BLPOA treasurer), Bill Thompson and Lew Huston (dredging committee) Cory and Steve (dredging employees of Dredging Technologies, Inc). Doug and Kent took their DNR boat into the Putney Ditch and did depth sampling from the outlet to the small bridge. The initial
measurements were in the channel of Putney because of the strong winds that day. Their measurements were: 5' at the mouth, 5' in center, 4.5' near Dave Binkley's house and 3' near the culvert. The DNR permit (Pl-20329) was approved April 19, 2006. This area of Putney was permitted to work an area 40' wide by 320' long. The inspection was very satisfactory to all the parties that were present.
After the inspection, Cory and Steve began removing the dredging pipes on the Hartup property near the spoils dump site. They will store some of their pipes near the campground until after Labor Day. At that time, the dredging is scheduled to continue on Little Barbee.
Lake property owners of the permitted dredging sites have not been completed have the option of leaving their piers out of the water until the dredging is completed or putting them out now until Labor Day of this year.
Dredging Update for Little Barbee
To update the current dredging activity on Little Barbee Lake, as of April 30th, 2007, Dredging Technologies IS WORKING to finish the outlet of Putney Ditch which was permitted by DNR
on April 19th, 2006. Then they will take their dredging equipment out of Little Barbee. Jeff Krevda, owner of Dredging Technologies, plans to return after Labor Day to complete areas 2, 3, 4, and 5 designated below:
1) the cove on the north end of the lake,
2) the main channel from the bridge west to Little Barbee,
3) an existing channel along the north shore which will undergo maintenance dredging along 400' of the shoreline,
4) a private channel between Big Barbee and Little Barbee Lakes,
5) 2 private channels north of the cove (area to be dredged is ONLY THE END OF THESE CHANNELS, NOT THE MOUTH.
Areas 1, 2, and 3 above qualify for LARE MATCHING FUNDS.
Areas 4 and 5 DO NOT qualify for LARE FUNDS because they are private channels.
When dredging resumes later this fall, signs will be posted at the launch sites and near dredging sites, newspapers will be notified, private property owners affected by dredging will be notified,
DNR buoys will be installed on dredging pipes on the lake and local bait shops will be notified for their customer’s information.
This project is only made possible because the BLPOA endorsed the project. If you have not joined the association (which represents you), PLEASE DO SO in order to dredge and do other projects that affect lake quality.
Dredger Spoils site in field off McKenna Road